Garment-stretcher



(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- R. BL'OESBR.

GARMBNT STRETCHER.

No. 537,436. Patented Apr. 16. 1895.`

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Ntts 4VTatras RUDOLPH BLOESER, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GARlVlENT-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,436, dated April 16, 1895..

Application tiled February 19, 1894. Serial No. 500,683. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH BLoEsER, of Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment- Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in garment stretchers, but is more especially designed. for use in ,stretching and forming the legs of trousers, and has for its object to provide a simple device which will enable the user to give the proper shape to the garment without reference to any unequal yielding or giving of the fabric and thus prevent any distortion of the garment in being stretched or formed.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinationsand arrangements of parts, all as will be now described and pointed out particularly in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure l is an elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it in its open position o r in the position which it occupies when in the garment.

- Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modified as heretofore constructed have usually had a mechanism for separating them only capable of being operated from one end, which caused a relative movement of the ends of the bar, that is to say, the bars were either set at an angle and caused to move directly outward at the same angle, or else the movement of the rends was in proportion to the resistance oered by the garment. If one end was held the opposite e id would expand, and vice versa. The disadvantages of these structures are obvious, for in the irst, it must be made to exactly lit the garment and could not be used to form and stretch a garment having a slightly different shape as for instance, trousers legs having greater or less taper, and in the second instance, the trousers leg or garment would be stretched to a greater extent at any weak point than it would at another point and hence if the trousers were worn then they were liable to be distorted when stretched tightly over the former.

In my invention I overcome these diiiiculties and provide a means for separating the side bars which will secure a positive, regular and independent movement. of each end of the bars. Thus the device may be inserted in the trousers leg, the lower ends of the bars for instance, set out to stretch the bottom of the leg to the proper shape, and then the power ends of the bars set out to give the proper shape to the upper portion of the leg, the means for operating the bars being controlled entirely from one end of the device.

At the lower end of one of the bars A, I permanently pivot one end of a pair of toggle arms B, B', the arm B being provided with a series of apertures b adapted to co-operate with a stud or. projection b on the opposite bar A and the opposite end of this arm B is extended beyond the center of the toggle to form a handle B2 by means of which the toggle arms may be operated to force the lower ends of the bars apart, as shown in Fig. 2, for instance, where the dotted lines indicated the narrow position and the full lines the wider position. In the latter position, the handle B2 moves in beneath a spring catch B3 on the bar A and holds the arms fast in position.

For separating the upper ends of the bars, I provide a second pair of toggle 'arms C permanently .pivoted to the bars A A at opposite ends and connected together by a union C to` which one end of an operating :rod D may be connected for drawing the inner ends of the arms and union C downward and causing IOO their outer ends to separate and move the up# per ends of the bars A A outward, independently of the position on the lower end. The operating rod D extends down past the lower end of the device for the attachment of an operating handle, by means of which the bar may be caused to move the toggle arms C.

As the most efiicient means of moving these toggle arms C, the handle operates a screw which takes a bearing either directly or indirectly against a second pair of toggle arms also pivotally connected at their outer ends to the bars A. These arms may be arranged in a variety of ways. For instance, a second pair of toggle arms E may be pivoted to the bars A near the pivots of the bars C, and project in an opposite direction, and the1 rod D may have rightand left handed screw threads as shown in dotted lines Fig. 3, (3o-operating with the unions of the bars C, and E. Thus when the rod D is turned, the arms O and E will be drawn together and the upper ends of the bars separated, as will be readily understood.

The bars E E in addition to performing the function of a brace for the rod D also prevent any tendency of the side bars A to wablole up or down independently, and in the preferred construction this is their sole function, for I provide a third pair of arms F near the bottom of the device and arranged in the same manner as the arms C C. The rod D at the bottom may be made tubular, as shown in Fig. 2 and provided with a slot d through which a projection d on an internal rod projects and co-operates with the union of the arms F F. In the lower end of the rod D a screw G is inserted carrying the handle G', with which construction, it will be seen that when the screw is moved in,the projection d being held by the arms F will cause the rod D to be drawn down and the upper ends of the side bars A moved outward through the medium of the toggle C C.

In Fig. 3 still another arrangement is shown in which the lower end of the rod D is screw threaded and handle nut G2 applied thereto and a tube or sleeve G3 slipped over the rod and moved up against the toggle F. The operation in this form is obvious, for when the handle G2 is turned, it cannot move up and the rod D must of necessity move downward, in every instance,it being understood that it moves freely through the toggle E E, except in the instance first mentioned, where the right and left handed screw threads are employed.

In order to adapt the device for folding into small compass longitudinally, the said bars A may be jointed or sectional, and in Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown such arrangements. In Fig. 3 ordinary fish pole joints I-I are employed and the rod D is screwed tightly together at h and in Fig. 4, the said bars A are tubular and threaded at their union for the reception of a thread plug K, which is screwed in by a handle 7c projecting from the lower end of the tube.

In using the device, it is inserted in the garment in its collapsed position. Then the lower ends of the side bars are spread apart, the arm B adjusted in tne proper aperture b and the lower toggle sprung into the position shown in full lines, Fig. 2,eff.ectually stretching the lower end of the garment. Then the handle G is turned and the upper ends of the bars A A separated until the garment is caused to assume a correct shape throughout its whole length.

I claim- In a garment stretcher, the combination with the straight side pieces and the independently adjustable toggle at the lower end thereof, of the toggles C C and E E, at the upper end of said side pieces, the rod extending down therefrom, the screw at the lower end of said rod for drawing it down and the brace toggle F F forming the resistance for the screw; substantially as described.

RUDOLPH BLOESER. 

